NHTSA Complaint #11397511 — 2017 FORD FUSION

ONE EVENING WHEN PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY IN REVERSE AND THEN SHIFTING INTO DRIVE, THE RADIAL DIAL SHIFTER AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTED TO PARK. IT WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK AT ALL, AND I SAT STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD NOT BEING ABLE TO MOVE MY CAR FOR OVER TWO HOURS. THE ROAD IS SUCH THAT PEOPLE HAD TO DRIVE THROUGH NEIGHBORS' YARDS TO GET AROUND ME. I'M VERY FORTUNATE THAT MY NEIGHBOR IS AN ENGINE MECHANIC AND WAS ABLE TO WALK OVER AND DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. HE TOLD ME THE SHIFT LINKAGE WAS NOT CONNECTED AND THAT THE BUSHING THAT HOLDS IT ON APPEARED TO BE MISSING. IF IT WERE NOT FOR HIM I MAY STILL BE SITTING IN THE ROAD. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I FOUND THAT THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL OF THIS EXACT SAME PART FOR FORD FUSION MODEL YEARS 2013-2016. HOWEVER, MINE IS A 2017 THAT CAME OUT OF THE PLANT IN APRIL OF 2016. THEREFORE, IT STANDS TO REASON THAT THE DESIGN OF THIS SHIFTER CABLE BUSHING DID NOT DRASTICALLY CHANGE BETWEEN THE MAKING OF MY VEHICLE IN APRIL OF 2016 AND A 2016 MODEL THAT WAS MADE JUST A MONTH OR SO EARLIER WHICH WAS ELIGIBLE FOR A RECALL. MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT I HAVE A YOUNG CHILD AND MY DRIVEWAY IS ON AN INCLINE. THE COMPLAINTS THAT I'VE RESEARCHED SAID THAT WITH THIS ISSUE THE CAR COULD BE STUCK IN NEUTRAL WHEN YOU THINK IT IS IN PARK FOR EXAMPLE, AND MY CHILD COULD HAVE BEEN IN THEIR CAR SEAT WHILE THE VEHICLE ROLLED AWAY. THIS IS NOT OK! FORD SAID MY 2017 FUSION WAS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE RECALL AND CHARGED $6 FOR THE BUSHING AND $60 TO INSTALL A PART THAT'S BEEN A RECALL ISSUE ON OTHER MODELS. MY CONCERN IS THE SAFETY OF OTHERS AND THE FACT THAT MY VEHICLE IS SURELY ONE OF THE EARLIER 2017 MODELS MANUFACTURED WITH THE SAME EXACT ISSUE AS A RECALLED MODEL WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN MADE JUST A MONTH OR TWO PRIOR. I DO HOPE THAT IT'S LOOKED INTO FOR THE 2017 FORD FUSION MODELS TO BE ADDED TO THE RECALL LIST FOR THE SHIFTER CABLE BUSHING RECALL.